Fiolek Does it By the Book

Honda Red Bull Racing’s motocross star Ashley Fiolek has put her incredible life story into words for her autobiography, on bookshelves now.

Born profoundly deaf, Ashley was at first misdiagnosed as a baby as having learning difficulties, but the little girl from Michigan soon showed everyone she knew what she wanted.

Having seen her first motocross race at age two, unperturbed by the noise at a time when other small children would probably have shied away from the cacophony of MX bike engines, Ashley told her parents that she wanted to race. At the age of just three, she was taken to her grandmother’s house one day to find a new mini dirt bike in the kitchen, complete with training wheels.

Now, a new book about her life, entitled Kicking Up Dirt: A True Story of Determination, Deafness and Daring, tells the fascinating story of what has happened between that fateful day at her grandmother’s and today, when she is the proud holder of two AMA Women’s Motocross titles for 2008 and ’09, an X Games gold medal and the distinction of being the first American girl ever given a factory ride in motocross, all at the age of just 19.

Her story has proved an inspiration to girls and aspiring sports stars with disabilities the world over, and now the whole tale has been told for the first time.

The book, a 208-page hardback published by HarperCollins, was released on April 27. For availability near you, check the HarperCollins website.